


like that sun

by takakoyaki



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Retail, Fluff, M/M, Pre-slash but also mostly fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-06-07 18:45:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6819763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takakoyaki/pseuds/takakoyaki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Woohyun's first day at work and it's an absolute nightmare. That is, until he meets Dongwoo.</p><p>Or, a retail AU in which Dongwoo is the sun and Woohyun can't help but reflect his light.</p>
            </blockquote>





	like that sun

 

 

Woohyun wouldn’t be in this situation if he wasn’t so stubborn.

He had moved closer to Seoul’s center from the suburbs to chase his dream, but he needed a source of income while he bounced around from company to company, feverishly practicing to finally pass an audition. His parents were worried enough that he was betting everything on his dreams right out of high school instead of going to university or enlisting like the rest of his friends, and so Woohyun’s pride demanded that he provide for himself. He was determined to take any job, no matter how menial or unrewarding--it was only a temporary thing until he found a company, after all. He could do this.

Or so he thought.

“Nam Woohyun-sshi, was it? It’s your first day, why are you late?” His supervisor noona at the department store regarded him skeptically, even though it was obvious that Woohyun was completely winded from sprinting there.

But of course Woohyun couldn’t say ‘I got too nervous to sleep and when I finally fell asleep I slept through all three of my alarms, and then my toilet at my new apartment overflowed, and the bus got held up by traffic, but despite all that I’m still only fifteen minutes late, so get off my back maybe?’

Instead he sucked it up and made himself smile, bowing profusely and apologetically. “I’m very sorry. It won’t happen again, I promise! I’ll work hard today.”

“Well, at least you made it before opening. Consider this your warning,” his supervisor reprimanded him before assigning him a bunch of tasks Woohyun had barely learned how to do right off the bat. 

To start, there was cleaning the dressing rooms. It seemed simple enough at first, but in reality there were more clothes and discarded items than Woohyun could have possibly imagined. His co-workers, all older and more experienced than him of course, scolded him every time he was too slow or too sloppy folding the clothes or sorting the hangers, and Woohyun was powerless to do anything besides hang his head and promise to do better next time. 

_ You chose this _ , he reminded himself as he diligently refolded the same pair of pants after his supervisor had told him to do it over again.  _ You’re sacrificing right now. Focus on the next audition if you have time to feel down about your shitty retail job. _

He repeated the same general message to himself over and over again, and though it kept him from breaking down completely, it didn’t solve everything. During his lunch break his mother texted him asking how work was going, and he couldn’t even bring himself to respond. Part of him even wished he could go back to the way things were, when he was surrounded by his family and friends, but they were all farther away now, and busy with their own lives. It was then Woohyun realized it wasn’t the fact that he was being criticized that bothered him. No, it was the fact that here in the city, he was completely and utterly alone. The realization made it harder to cope, and by the time it was almost the end of the Worst Day Ever, Woohyun felt drained and listless. 

But it wasn’t over just yet.

  
  


\--

  
  


“Woohyun-sshi, you’re on dressing room attendant duty for the rest of your time,” his supervisor tells him, a couple of hours before his shift ends. Thankfully it’s not a very busy time for the store, so Woohyun counts it as finally getting a breather until a customer walks in with an armload of clothes.

“Hi! Can I try all of this stuff on?” The pile of stuff gets dropped on the counter, and Woohyun quickly tries to count all the random colorful items the guy had brought.

“Um, yeah! The rooms are open, let me just get you a number,” Woohyun scrambles to finish counting the clothes, then tries to pick up the huge pile of clothing in front of him.

“You don’t have to carry all of those, I’ve got it,” the customer laughs and scoops up the clothes again before Woohyun could react. Woohyun realizes belatedly that he’s wearing a uniform that belongs to one of the food stalls in the same shopping center, and a name badge. It reads ‘Dongwoo.’

“Oh, okay. This room is empty, it should be big enough,” Woohyun unlocks one of the bigger stalls for Dongwoo, making sure he’s situated before closing the door. “Let me know if you need anything, okay?” 

“Okay, thanks!” comes Dongwoo’s overly cheerful reply. Woohyun wonders briefly how someone could have so much energy while working in a similar job, then gets a large bag ready for all of Dongwoo’s things. It would probably be a lot easier for him to carry it around like that. 

Once Dongwoo emerges, Woohyun holds up the bag in offering. “I got this ready for you. I thought it might be better to carry around your things.”

“Thanks! That’s so nice of you… Woohyun-sshi,” Dongwoo beams as he takes the bag, squinting as he reads Woohyun’s name badge right back. He deposits his various tried-on clothes in the bag, then sticks out his now-unoccupied hand in greeting. “I’m Jang Dongwoo! I’m nineteen years old and work at the snack shop just a couple doors over.” 

“Nam Woohyun, also nineteen. I just started today, I’ll have to stop by and try it sometime,” Woohyun does his best to smile back as he shakes Dongwoo’s hand, but it wasn’t as hard as he thought despite his tiredness. It’s the first time all day anyone had really thanked him for anything, let alone treated him like a human being with feelings. Maybe that’s why he can’t help but be pleasantly surprised by even something as small as an introduction. 

“Your first day, huh? I bet the noonas were really on your case. I’ll give you an ice cream on the house if I’m working to make up for it,” Dongwoo grins widely. It’s an unnecessarily big grin, Woohyun notices, and takes up most of his face, but somehow endearing all the same. 

“When would that be? I’m here for the opening shift the later half of the week, and then afternoons most weekends,” Woohyun asks, though he also wonders if he sounds too desperate to make friends. Dongwoo doesn’t seem to mind, shrugging and smiling as naturally as if he’d known Woohyun forever.

“I usually work first shift too, so I’ll probably see you around! I fill in a lot for other people too,” he informs him. “It’s nice to know someone my age is finally here. I really like this store, so I’m looking forward to seeing you around and stuff!”

“Yeah, I’ll see you around,” Woohyun says, and when he smiles this time it’s not forced at all.  Dongwoo waves at him profusely with his comically overstuffed bag in hand, and Woohyun doesn’t realize he’s waving back until Dongwoo has long disappeared from the dressing room.

  
  


\--

  
  


Technically, Woohyun knows he shouldn’t go to a snack bar all that often. Once he joins a company, they’ll likely be after him about his diet all the time. But he has the metabolism of any growing nineteen year old boy, and it  _ is  _ also the closest food vendor to his place of work. It’s also the opposite of the sterile, brightly lit department store, with its low ceilings, brown upholstered booths, and floor tiles that seem to be at least a little sticky no matter how often he sees Dongwoo mop them. It feels almost like home.

So he ends up going back again and again, and Dongwoo is always there to greet him with a smile. It’s not long before Woohyun starts to look forward to their conversations, even if it’s just rehashing their respective work days. Maybe it's because it's easier to laugh when he's with Dongwoo, even after a whole day of forcing a smile. Maybe it's because no matter how much Woohyun talks, Dongwoo never seems to be bothered by it, like he can tell that Woohyun needs to vent.

It’s the third week or so when Woohyun stops by with more of a bounce in his step, and Dongwoo notices that too.

“How was work today? You look less dead on your feet,” he chirps as he starts to pile all of Woohyun’s favorites on a plate for him-- he learned them almost right away, plus he always waits to take his break when Woohyun comes in. Part of Woohyun feels guilty, wants to tell him it’s okay and that he doesn’t have to go through that much trouble for him, but at the same time he doesn’t know how he’d get through his day anymore without this routine.

“It wasn’t too bad. I think I’m slowly getting used to it,” Woohyun shrugs as he sits down. “The adjustment was pretty rough, but it’s not as bad now.”

“Mm, it’s always tough the first week or so.” Dongwoo takes off his apron and sits across from him, stretching his lean, muscular arms and scrunching up his face in a yawn. “Man, my feet are tired. I think I practiced too much yesterday.”

“Practiced? For what?” Woohyun raises his eyebrows. 

“Dance practice. I’m trying to join an entertainment label as a trainee soon. Or at least a backup dancer,” Dongwoo says without a hint of shame or irony, his eyes lighting up as he leans his elbows on the table. “You should join too, Woohyunnie, I bet you’d do really well with a face like yours.”

“Wha-?!” Woohyun nearly chokes on his food. He’s never sure if Dongwoo is joking or serious when he compliments him, but either way he feels his face grow warm. 

“Actually, I’m already planning on auditioning. As a vocalist,” he clarifies once he manages to swallow. “My first audition is scheduled for next week, in fact.”

“Really? That’s so cool! We should go to the noraebang together sometime,” Dongwoo seems genuinely excited, which is another first for Woohyun. Most of his friends back home were at least a little skeptical, after all. “Hey though, what if we ended up at the same company? That’d be awesome, wouldn’t it?”   
  
“It would.” Dongwoo probably means it in an offhand sort of way, but Woohyun replies truthfully as he shovels down more food. “Have you auditioned before? Have any advice?”

“Oh yeah, lots and lots of advice!” Dongwoo makes a big circle with his arms. “Well, not as a vocalist, but I can still give you pointers. Don’t worry Woohyunnie, we’re gonna make it.”

“I never said I was worried I’d make it,” Woohyun protests, then purses his lips. “Okay, maybe I was a  _ little  _ worried.” 

“The first time I auditioned, I couldn’t sleep the whole night,” Dongwoo tells him. “If you ever need to talk, just call me up. I usually sleep through all my notifications, but I can set a special ringtone for emergencies!”

“I think I’ll be okay. Thanks though,” Woohyun says with a smile. For a moment he’s definitely tempted to take Dongwoo up on his offer, and he resents himself for it. “Thanks for the food too. Are you off soon?”

“Any time, Nam-goon!” Dongwoo returns the smile enthusiastically, the nickname sounding cute and affectionate coming from him despite the formality. He shakes his head at Woohyun’s question. “No, I’m covering for someone tonight. Don’t worry about it, I’ll catch you later!”

“Yeah, later.” Woohyun smiles and waves back as he leaves, but he feels his face fall as soon as Dongwoo is out of sight. 

Woohyun’s learned quickly that Dongwoo is way too nice to everyone, not just him. It’s not just tonight, Dongwoo is always covering for someone else, always cleaning up other people’s messes, always invested in their happiness and well-being, and he never gets anything in return. It’s been so lonely in the city that it’s tempting to just give in and take advantage of Dongwoo’s kindness too, but as he starts the trek back to his apartment, Woohyun silently promises to not be like everyone else.

He’s not sure how just yet, but he’s going to make sure he finds a way to repay Dongwoo.

  
  


\--

  
  


Woohyun doesn’t stop by the snack bar for a few days before his first audition. It feels strange not making his usual trip to see Dongwoo, but at the same time, he doesn’t want to lose even a few minutes of practice time to prepare for his audition. 

The days pass. His audition comes and goes. After another day of being harassed by his coworkers and customers, Woohyun doesn’t care anymore. As much as he swore up and down he wouldn’t be one of  _ those  _ people, right now Woohyun wants to see Dongwoo, to hear his voice and see him smile.

When he approaches the snack bar, it’s close to closing time, and Woohyun pauses in front of the glass shop front. Dongwoo is the only one inside, and he’s mopping the floor--so to speak, it’s more like he’s dancing around the store with a mop in his hand. It’s not anything structured or purposeful, it’s just spontaneous, silly and childlike and yet still completely perfect because it’s Dongwoo. He slides his feet back and forth, moving smoothly with the music, then suddenly and dramatically dips the mop handle as if it was his partner, gazing intently at someone who he’s only imagining is in his arms. Woohyun’s breath catches in his throat, and at that exact moment, Dongwoo’s eyes meet his. He grins slyly, as if he knew Woohyun was watching the whole time, and now feels like a great time for Woohyun to crawl under a rock never to return.

After a moment Woohyun swallows his embarrassment and swings open the door of the snack bar, putting his hands on his hips in feigned annoyance. “You’re a dirty tease, Jang Dongwoo.”

“What? You liked it enough to keep watching,” Dongwoo laughs and shimmies his hips in response, which doesn’t make Woohyun feel any less pressed. He grows serious a moment later, leaning on his mop and staring straight into Woohyun’s eyes. “You didn’t respond when I texted you about your audition, Nam-goon.”

There’s a heavy silence as Woohyun breaks his gaze away from Dongwoo’s, and eventually he shrugs. “That’s because there was nothing to say. I didn’t pass, obviously.”

Dongwoo doesn’t sigh, doesn’t look at Woohyun pityingly. Instead, he walks over and puts his hand on Woohyun’s shoulder. “Well, it was your first one. And you told me that company wasn’t your first choice anyway, right? It’s the experience that counts, so don’t sweat it too much.”

“I know.” Woohyun sighs, shakes his head. “It’s okay, really, I’m over it.”

“Are you sure?” Dongwoo frowns, his big lower lip sticking out in a pout. “It’s okay to be depressed, too.”

  
“I told you, I’m not depressed.”

“Still.... you don’t have to hold everything inside all the time, Woohyunnie.”

Even Woohyun’s mom isn’t this persistent. If it were anyone else, Woohyun might have snapped, or more likely just clammed up and changed the subject. But Dongwoo keeps staring up at him, his eyes wide and expression completely open, and Woohyun can’t anymore. He can’t hold back, so he leans his head on Dongwoo’s shoulder and tries to accept his own sadness.

“I have to hold it in,” Woohyun whispers, because if he speaks any louder he’s afraid his voice will break and then it’ll really be a mess. “I have to be strong. I have to smile, no matter what.”

Dongwoo puts aside the mop so he can wrap his arms around Woohyun right there in the middle of the empty snack bar. They’re warm and solid, and as reassuring as the low tone of Dongwoo’s voice. “You are strong, Nam Woohyun. Not smiling all the time doesn’t make you weak, it makes you a human being.”

“But you’re always smiling,” Woohyun protests. He’s definitely not tearing up. “I don’t know why I can’t be more like that.”

“You’re fine just the way you are. I promise,” Dongwoo says without a trace of irony. It’s really cliche, and Woohyun wonders how he can say stuff like that and still sound like he means it with all his heart. “Come on, there’s nothing a good helping of special cheese tteokbokki and Jang Dongwoo-style fruit punch won’t help.”

“Now you really sound like my mom.” Woohyun quips, finally cracking a smile (and meaning it). When Dongwoo smiles back and takes his hand and tugs him towards the kitchen, he doesn’t resist at all. In fact he’s completely content to let himself be pulled anywhere, caught in Dongwoo’s magnetism like a planet revolving around the sun.

  
  


\--

  
  


Now that he’s been working at the department store for a few months now, Woohyun has to admit he’s gotten somewhat comfortable. It still sucks when the customers blame him for things out of his control, or his supervisors give him grief over minor things, but it’s become second nature for Woohyun to smile when he doesn’t mean it, to bite his tongue and spout something charming or diffusing even when others are unnecessarily rude to him. It works better this way, especially as the rejections from two more companies come in, because he’s not showing any of his real feelings. This way, the hurt he used to feel dwindles down to a dull background ache instead of sharp needles and pins. 

His main worry recently is that he feels as though he’s stuck in a rut. It’d be one thing if he could do anything besides sing, but because he’s already nineteen it feels too late to learn anything else.

“Maybe I need to just... remake myself totally. I have no idea how to dance,” he muses aloud at the snack bar on a gloomy and slow Tuesday afternoon. He and Dongwoo are just hanging out in an empty booth drinking cola since there aren’t any other customers around, and at the mere mention of ‘dance’ Dongwoo’s eyes light up.

“I used to be a dance teacher! Want me to teach you?” he offers immediately. Woohyun’s first instinct is to decline; he’s seen Dongwoo dance, and even if it was only messing around he could still tell that Dongwoo is an extremely talented dancer. 

“I don’t know. I really have two left feet,” he warns Dongwoo, shaking his head, but Dongwoo only slides closer to him, waggling his eyebrows as that familiar childlike grin spreads across his face.

“Everyone does when they first start! C’mon, it’ll be fun,” Dongwoo insists, and the next thing Woohyun knows the two of them are standing face-to-face on the sticky restaurant floor, so close Woohyun can see every one of Dongwoo’s eyelashes.

“Uh, Dongwoo?” Woohyun shifts around nervously as Dongwoo pokes and prods him a bit before straightening back up. “What’re you doing?”

“Just seeing what kind of shape you’re in. Do you work out, Woohyunnie? Your arms are soooo nice,” Dongwoo says totally casually, grabbing Woohyun’s biceps and rubbing them. 

“Huh? What?” Woohyun is too flustered to react to that properly, but Dongwoo charges right along without waiting for an answer anyway. 

“Anyway, the most important thing to do before dance practice is stretching and warming up, just like you would before any other workout! You’ll risk injuring yourself if you don’t,” he explains. 

After that he shows Woohyun how to do some simple stretches, and then they warm up, and by the time they get to the part where Dongwoo actually shows him some basic-of-the-basics dance moves Woohyun follows along as best as he can, but moving his body like that just doesn’t come easily to him, doesn’t flow the way Dongwoo’s does so naturally. 

At the end of Dongwoo’s first lesson, Woohyun basically collapses into a chair, his mind racing with thoughts even if he feels physically exhausted. He’ll have to work twice as hard from now on just to master a simple routine, and even though Dongwoo was patient with him this time, there’s no telling when he might get sick of Woohyun’s constant mistakes.

“Sorry. I was even worse than I thought I’d be,” Woohyun says as soon as Dongwoo comes over to him, handing him a bottle of water before sitting down next to him. He doesn’t seem tired at all after their lesson, just as vibrant and energetic as usual as he puts his hand on Woohyun’s shoulder.

“You’re doing really great, Woohyunnie. You just haven’t had any practice yet is all,” Dongwoo encourages him. Woohyun drinks the water and doesn’t say anything; he feels kind of bad for thinking that Dongwoo would judge him-- they’re friends, after all, and more than anything Dongwoo is a good person. He tries to smile for him, though he thinks it comes out faint and watery.    
  


“I’ll start practicing on my own so you don’t have to show me during your shift. I’ll work harder,” he promises Dongwoo, his voice tight as he glances to the side. “I don’t know how else I’m going to improve anyway.”

He hadn’t meant to sound so negative, but Dongwoo doesn’t seem to mind, and maybe that’s why Woohyun let it slip out in the first place. He takes Woohyun by the shoulders and pulls him forwards, and at first Woohyun thinks he’s going to hug him but instead he touches their foreheads together, his hands coming up to pat either side of Woohyun’s face.

“Dongwoo-yah? What exactly are you doing?” Woohyun asks against his better judgment. His cheeks might be heating up, despite the fact that Dongwoo is usually pretty openly affectionate with him. 

“I’m absorbing your stress, Nam-goon.” Dongwoo’s eyes are closed, but he’s smiling lightly as he slides his hands down to rest on the sides of Woohyun’s neck. “Just half of it. You don’t have to carry it all yourself.”

His hands are reassuring and soft on Woohyun’s skin, and Woohyun wonders if Dongwoo can feel his pulse steadily quickening when they’re on his neck like this. Dongwoo’s full lips look as soft as his hands feel, and at long last Woohyun comes to the realization that he’d really like to kiss them. If he could, anyway, but the only thing more frightening than being this close to Dongwoo is the thought that Dongwoo might reject him if he finds out. 

“That doesn’t mean you have to carry anything for me,” Woohyun murmurs, reaching up so he can gently move Dongwoo’s hands. “I feel a lot better just knowing you’re here for me. You’re a good friend.”

“Don’t sweat it, Woohyunnie. I know you’d do the same for me,” Dongwoo replies with another easy smile, then bursts out laughing. “Heh, we’re so cheesy when there’s no one else around.”

“Yeah, but you mean it, right? You love me lots, right?” Woohyun teases him, knows Dongwoo will just tease him right back as usual.

But Dongwoo merely reaches out to brush Woohyun’s bangs from his forehead, his lips turned up only ever so slightly. 

“Right,” is all he says before getting up to head back to the kitchen, leaving Woohyun to contemplate that mysterious smile all the way back to his apartment.

  
  


\--

  
  


In retrospect, Woohyun doesn’t know how he didn’t realize it until now. He’s met plenty of other people since he came to the city, maybe even some he could consider friends, but nothing really compares to the connection he has with Dongwoo. All day Woohyun folds the clothes, clears the aisles, and sorts the hangers as usual, but his mind is elsewhere. 

He wanders into the snack bar at some indeterminate point after his shift, standing around in front of the counter blinking up at the flourescent light bulbs until Dongwoo’s voice snaps him back to reality. 

“What’s this I hear about you being lovesick over someone, Nam-goon?” 

When Woohyun looks up, Dongwoo is standing next to him grinning widely, his eyes sparkling mischievously. “Some of the noonas came in on their lunch break and said you were totally out of it.”

“I can’t tell you right now.” Woohyun shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it, though.”

“That’s no fun! Eh, just make sure you tell me before I leave,” Dongwoo complains, and Woohyun feels his heart drop to the pit of his stomach.

“Leave? Where’re you going?” he asks, trying to sound casual.

“Nowhere yet, but I’m going to quit the snack bar in a couple of weeks,” Dongwoo explains. “I decided it’s time to go all in. If I don’t make it into a company soon, I told my parents I’d go back to school or something.” 

“I… I see.” Woohyun blinks slowly, realizing he’s surprised by Dongwoo’s resolve; despite Dongwoo’s carefree appearance, he must have been thinking seriously about his future all this time. The epiphany makes Woohyun suddenly self-conscious, unsure he could say the same about himself. “I hope everything goes well, then. I’ll… I’ll miss seeing you around, though.”

“I’ll miss you too, Woohyunnie.” Dongwoo throws an arm over his shoulder, but his smile is more subdued than usual. “We should still hang out whenever you’re free, okay?”

“If you’re going to dance practice, I’ll definitely tag along if I can.” Woohyun nods, trying to smile back, but he’s not sure he even manages a little one. “Speaking of that, I should probably go soon. I’m having a consultation with a vocal coach this evening.”

“Okay! Don’t forget, my last day is the 26th,” Dongwoo reminds him, and Woohyun takes out his phone to put it in his calendar.

The 26th is almost exactly two weeks from now; he can only hope that by then, he’ll have the courage to tell Dongwoo how he feels.

  
  


\--

  
  


It rains unexpectedly on the 26th, and of course Woohyun hadn’t brought an umbrella with him. Even the short walk to the snack bar leaves him pretty drenched, though at least it’s a distraction from how nervous Woohyun feels as soon as he sees Dongwoo. Surprisingly, there are a handful of other people in the snack bar even though it’s an off hour like usual, and from the way they’re all talking to Dongwoo and patting him on the back Woohyun realizes they must be there to see him. He hovers by the door for a moment, unsure whether or not to wait there, but then Dongwoo spots him and pushes through the crowd.

“Nam-goon, you’re soaked!” Dongwoo comes over holding a kitchen towel to help dry Woohyun off, frowning in genuine concern as he dabs at Woohyun’s face and hair. “Do you want to wear my jacket? You’ll catch cold if you stay that wet!”

“I… I’m okay.” Woohyun’s voice sounds obviously strained, even to himself, but Dongwoo doesn’t seem to notice. 

“At least come to the back room then, it’s warmer in there.” Dongwoo takes Woohyun by the hand and drags him back to the employee break room, and Woohyun wants to protest but is kept silent by the multiple pairs of eyes he feels watching them curiously until the door closes behind him.

“Are those all people you know?” he asks quietly, once he’s sure it’s shut all the way.

“Yeah… they came to say goodbye, too.” Dongwoo nods, patting him gently with the towel. Woohyun feels his heart lodge in his throat when Dongwoo reaches up with his hand to brush some raindrops from Woohyun’s bangs. 

“Why? Why are you always so nice to me?” Woohyun doesn’t mean to blurt the words out as the start to his confession, but he can’t go back now. He blushes hotly, staring at his feet. “I feel like I haven’t done anything to deserve it.”

Dongwoo’s busy hands pause then, and Woohyun sees them drop to his side as Dongwoo considers his question.

“Because you don’t see it,” he says eventually, and the uncharacteristic serious tone of his voice makes Woohyun’s gaze snap back towards him. Dongwoo’s expression is thoughtful, almost sad, even though the corners of his mouth are turned up. 

“I don’t see it?” Woohyun chews his lip, confused. “See what?”

“How talented and caring and wonderful of a person you are.” Dongwoo steps towards him, his eyes glossy and bright. “The person you like is really lucky, Woohyun-ah.”

“It’s…” Woohyun closes his eyes, swallows, but his voice still won’t come out as anything but a whisper. “It’s you. It was always you, Jang Dongwoo.”

“It feels like a dream to hear you say that,” Dongwoo laughs softly as he takes both of Woohyun’s hands in his. Woohyun’s heart skips a beat, and when he opens his eyes Dongwoo is smiling so hard his eyes are all crinkly. “I should have told you I liked you, too. Sooner than now, anyway.”

“I should have told you sooner too. But I was worried that I was just another one of those people who’s always asking something of you,” Woohyun murmurs, his already warm cheeks feeling hotter by the second. “You’re always… I mean, I wanted to be able to do something for you instead of just take. I still haven’t figured it out, but I need you to know how I feel.”

“You don’t have to do anything, Woohyunnie.” Dongwoo’s expression softens, and he squeezes Woohyun’s hands. “I’m happy just to be the person you smile for. I’m happy just to see you every day, and talk to you, and hold your hand. Being with you makes me want to work harder in everything.”

Woohyun still doesn’t know if he can see all the things about himself that Dongwoo does, but he can feel Dongwoo’s strength and affection flowing into him, steadying him and keeping his feet on the ground. He knows it’s time to make a decision of his own.

“Dongwoo, let’s…” he begins, then stops. He wets his lips, then begins again. “Let’s audition together.”

“What? I thought you were gonna ask me on a date now that we’re on the same page. I was being nice and waiting for you to ask,” Dongwoo complains. “Do you  _ want  _ to go on a date with me?”

“O-of course I do!” Woohyun splutters. He just confessed his feelings, after all, what else would they do after that? He can’t help but laugh when Dongwoo pouts at him, though. 

“What I mean is, we can definitely also go on a date,” he explains, leaning forward and putting his arms around Dongwoo even if it’s more hesitant than he intended. “But seriously, let’s both go to the same company, Dongwoo-yah. If that’s okay with you, anyway.”

“Of course it’s okay!” Dongwoo laughs and throws his arms around Woohyun in return, squeezing him with much more enthusiasm than Woohyun’s tentative hug. “Date first, though.”

Woohyun can’t help but laugh too, despite how overwhelmed he feels by-- well, everything. But Dongwoo is there for him, and somehow okay with the fact that Woohyun is head over heels in love with him, so ‘everything’ doesn’t seem nearly as scary as it used to, somehow.

“Yes,” he agrees. “Date first.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> (Their first date was Dongwoo taking care of Woohyun because he did catch a cold.  
> Please love 2woo! Please love these precious sweethearts!)


End file.
